Colorado Gay Benefits Gain Traction

[ruggerson]

This should be a lesson for every single state where there is a "ban gay marriage" initiative put on the ballot.

The response should be a pro-civil union/domestic partnership initiative put on the same ballot. Voters favor civil unions by two to one margins, even in redder states.

Kudos to Colorado. This should serve as a blueprint for other states.

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon06/02/022106colorado.htm

(Denver, Colorado) A proposal that would give same-sex couples some of the benefits of marriage has been filed in the Colorado legislature. If adopted it would put the plan to voters in November.

The House late Monday referred the bill to the Judiciary Committee.

The Colorado Domestic Partnership Benefits and Responsibilities Act is a response from Democrats to a Republican backed ballot measure that would ban same-sex marriage in the state.

The domestic partner measure would give same-sex couples the right to visitation and to be involved in the care of hospital patients and nursing home residents, protection of property rights, including inheritance and pension benefits, access to a partner's health care benefits and family leave benefits, and the right to take possession of a deceased partner's remains

[Zenlitened]

1. K&R.

[JugDack]

2. I'd love to be optimistic, but I live in Ohio...

...where the wingnuts anticipated this very thing and changed the language of their anti-gay constitutional ammendment to outlaw domestic partnerships as well. I suspect that's what they'll do elsewhere. And it passed overwhelmingly here, even with the additional language. Don't know what happened to that 2/3 of voters who favor domestic partnerships....

x(